


tick tock-tick tock

by wearethewitches



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Gen, Magic-Users, One Shot, Post-Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-12-01 19:17:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20872091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wearethewitches/pseuds/wearethewitches
Summary: “Nicholas Scratch would not want you to release the Dark Lord in an attempt to get him back and I will not allow the four of you to make his sacrifice meaningless,” Zelda intones with determinedly less zeal than she would like.orZelda Spellman is in charge and she knows her niece very, very well.





	tick tock-tick tock

One week after Satan himself is locked away, Zelda takes a moment to look over her household.

Hilda is busy with the Church of Lilith, acting as her secretary and taking no nonsense from anyone as – _for now_ – she keeps word of the Devil’s captivity within the coven. She binds them to Zelda’s will, assuring all that it is temporary, while Prudence and her sisters act as her enforcers against any who rebel. They must control the flow of information – the _Spellman’s_ must be the ones to tell the world that their precious Dark Lord is bound and imprisoned.

Ambrose is mourning. Zelda allows herself a Hilda-esque moment, wrapping her arms around him when he tells her about Luke again. _Luke, Luke, Luke,_ she can hear his heart crying.

“You will move on, in time,” Zelda murmurs to him, before turning to Sabrina.

Sabrina, of course, is an agent of chaos. Satan’s child, Edward’s child, Diana’s child – the unholy trifecta of angel, witch and mortal, all in one body. Zelda summons her to their living room and makes sure all her friends are with her as she lays down the law – after choosing her words very, _very _carefully_._

“Nicholas Scratch would not want you to release the Dark Lord in an attempt to get him back and I will not allow the four of you to make his sacrifice meaningless,” Zelda intones with determinedly less zeal than she would like. Sabrina, of course, gets angry – but Zelda was expecting that and she looks to her mortal friends, the three who barred the Gates of Hell and made it possible for the Apocalypse to be halted.

She talks over Sabrina, speaking to Harvey, Rosalind and Theo like they’re adults and not sixteen and seventeen year-olds with a penchant for digging their fingers into witch business. The Weird Sisters have already been told not to help Sabrina if she attempts anything – to scold her for putting Nicholas before the world when that is exactly the opposite of what he wanted, in the end.

Zelda cuts off every lifeline Sabrina has and tries not to overwhelm her all at once. Spellman’s never do well when surrounded. Sabrina will only get angry if Zelda doesn’t pull this off correctly.

“I want your word – _need_ your word,” Zelda says in a hush, Sabrina on the brink of giving in. She looks at her niece directly, murmuring. “Nicholas made a choice, albeit the only choice available at the time. You have the rest of your life to create a new way to imprison the Dark Lord. Don’t rush into this, Sabrina, if you ever do try.”

Sabrina looks up, startled. “You’re- you’re giving me your blessing?”

“Yes,” Zelda lies, before holding up her finger, eyes sharper now that she has her. _She’ll listen to me._ “You will wait. You will involve the coven, but never your mortal friends.”

They protest lightly, but Sabrina agrees. Zelda continues, gaze locked on her niece as the trio of mortals fall quiet.

“You will graduate from the Academy of Unseen Arts with the highest distinction in Conjuring before you do anything. ‘Anything’ is not just limited to rescuing Mr Scratch, however – it’s anything to do with him.” Zelda glares at Sabrina, trying to think of everything and anything she might try. “No messages. No astral projecting. Nothing that will put you or your voice – or anyone else’s for that matter – in Hell or near the Dark Lord’s presence. Nicholas’ isolation is for the good of you and the good of the world. Do you understand me, Sabrina?”

“I understand, Auntie Z,” Sabrina nods, her shoulders straight and her back straighter. In that moment, Zelda sees Diana, informing her that Edward’s business is none of hers and giving her a glare not even Sabrina could match at her most angered. Zelda doesn’t know when she started seeing Diana in her niece – and she definitely has, in recent years – but it feels false, somehow, to imagine that Sabrina looks or acts like her cuckolded brother.

_Magic-borne children have had more than one parent in the past, _Zelda scolds herself immediately upon thinking in such a doubtful manner. _No doubt, Sabrina is of three and not just Diana and the Dark Lord._

Her niece agrees verbally, but Zelda has her and her childhood friends sign a sheet of paper with their dictated conversation. Hilda, afterwards, comes out from the shadow of the doorway and signs as witness when Zelda pretends she isn’t looking.

“He can’t ever be released,” Hilda says.

Zelda nods. “I know – but if anyone can find a way, it’s Sabrina. We at least have her word that she shall wait until she’s ready for such a feat.”

“And what does Lilith say about this?” Hilda asks, eyebrow rising. “You think she’d agree if there’s even a chance the Dark Lord could be set free?”

“Of course not – but I’ll remind you that all graduates of the Academy are given their diplomas by the High Priest, or _Priestess_, as it were. If I am not satisfied with Sabrina’s education, I can simply send her back. We have _time, _Hilda,” Zelda insists.

They have time_._


End file.
